Danielle Solzman
Blindspotting is one of those films in which one knows that they are watching something magical take place and that’s the beauty of the Sundance Film Festival. The colorful film is the product of two friends who both share the same hometown and, as tends to be the case with many indie films, the road has been quite a few years in the making.
Carlos López Estrada directs the film from a screenplay written by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, both of whom were cast in the leading roles of this Oakland-set film that provides much-needed minority representation on screen. Make no mistake either, Diggs is a definite star-in-the-making. His character, Collin, freestyle raps at times during the film in a way that reminds one of the Hamilton soundtrack–interestingly enough, Diggs originally played the role of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the hit musical.
With three days remaining on probation, Collin is hoping on a second chance at life. Working for a moving company with his best friend, Miles (Casal), the two have come to a realization that their neighborhood in Oakland isn’t the same as it used to be when they were growing up. They help one artist with moving, whose art makes a point of just how much has changed throughout the years.
Collin is just doing his job when he sees a black guy being chased by a cop. A few gunshots later, Collin witnesses an unarmed man shot dead by a police officer (Ethan Embry), who pretty much becomes the film’s villain, and he misses his curfew.
Click here for my full review of Blindspotting from the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
DIRECTOR: Carlos López Estrada
SCREENWRITERS: Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs
CAST: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Ethan Embry, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Wayne Knight
